Abdominal support



sept. 3, 1929. s, WALTON 1,726,637

ABDOMINAL SUPPORT Filed Sept. 29, I927 Patented Sept. 3, 1929.

} UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL ARCl-IIBALD WALTON, OF HERNE BAY, ENGLAND.

ABDOMINAL surronn Application filed September 29,1927, Serial No. 222,836, and in Great Britain December 30, 1926.

This invention relates to abdominal supports of the type in which connection between the front or abdominal plate and the girdle carrying the same and applying pressure thereon may be made at independently alterable regions of the plate to suit the particular requirements'of the wearer.

It is desirable in such devices to be able plate show ng the girdle connectionsthereto.

to effect adjustment of the regions of pressure without it being necessary to disconnect the girdle from the plate.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved support of the type indicated, embodying such desirable features as that above mentioned and others which will be hereinafter set forth.

The invention consists in an abdominal support comprising a front or abdominal plate supported at two independently alterable regions respectively by two separate ends of a girdle adapted to apply pressure on said regions, in which provision is made for altering either of said regions without detachment. of the girdle from the plate.

The invention further consists in a device in accordance with the preceding paragraph, in which the plate and the girdle are connected together by two members respectively attached to said girdle ends, and respectively displaceable within a pair of guiding means on said plate and disposed over regions thereof whereon the pressure may require to. be applied.

The invention further consists in a devicein accordancewith'either of the preceding paragraphs, having one or more plates or pads for engaging the wearers back, the girdle comprising two C-springs, one end of each being connected to the front plate as indicated and each being securedto said back plate or plates by means preferably allowing of expansion or contraction of the body without displacement of the front plate.

The invention further consists in a device in accordance with either of the two preceding paragraphs, in which the guiding means comprise two metal channel members secured .to the outside of the front plate on different sides of the centre thereof, the members dis placeable in said channel members being attached to the ends of the girdle by screws or the like serving also to, fix said members.

in thedesired position.

The invention further conslsts in improve ments in. or relating to abdominal supports,

of an abdominal support inaccordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 1s an enlarged view of the rear Figures 3, 4 and 5 show respectively an elevation, a longitudinal section and a cross section of one of the slidable connections on the front plate.

Figures 6 and 7 show modified forms of the invention.

a In carrying thQlIlVGIltlOIl into effectin one form, as shown in Figure 1, the front plate comprises two approximately semicircular members a, a of steel,brass, aluminium or other material hinged together, on the line A A, and conveniently curved or, dished and padded on one side for bearing upon the abdomen of the wearer. On the other or outer side of said front plate, a pair of shallow metal channel members, Z), 5 of approximately C formation are provided, one of said channel members being disposed on each side of the hinge. The channels 5, Z9 are secured conveniently, for example, by riveting at 1", 1', 1' r, to the plate with their longitudinal openings 0, 0 remote from the plate and approximately parallel to the hinge, In each of said channel members, one

of which is shown in greaterdetail in Figures 3,4 and 5, a'metal slide d is provided.

longitudinally movable within it, and attached to said slides by means, for example,

of set screws 6, e engaging in tapped holes in said slides are the ends of two springs f, forming the two halves of the resilient. girdle, supporting and supplying the necessary pressureto the front plate. The slide may:consist, for. example, of a square nut of suitable dimensions. The girdle springs connected to the slides are preferably provided with a leather covering, andare carried round opposite sides of the body, being connected to a single wide plate (7 as shown in Figures 1 and 2 for engaging the wear ers back. p

The aforementionedslides may be moved within the channel members secured to the front plate and the points on the front plate on which the pressure is applied by the girdle springs can be altered to suit requirements. lVhen the best positions have been ascertained,- the slides may be fixed in position. The latter operation is effected, as shown in Figure 5, by means of the screw 6, which connects the slide at with slot of Width somewhat greater than the di-' ameter of thescrew maybe formed in the bottom of each channel member parallel with the longitudinal opening it thereof, and extending for the greater part of the length of the channel member, the said screw 6 when screwed home through the tapped hole in the slide in this case penetrating said slot h, and bearing directly upon the outer side of the front plate a. By this means the slides are prevented from leaving the channel guides during adjustment by the screws abutting against either end h 72, of the slots in the channel bottoms.

Referring more particularly to Figure 2, the back plate is made of, for example, aluminium, and if desired, lightened for example by the provision of perforations j, j. The inner side of the back plate is padded suitably with, for example, crepe rubber, and

the whole arched to lit the wearers back. Small steel plates 7c, 70, are provided, riveted or otherwise secured to the outer side of the back plate some distance apart, a tapped hole being provided in each of said small plates. Suitable screws m, m entering each of said tapped holes through a suitable hole in the rear end of the spring forming one half of the girdle provide attachments for these parts. The small plates if desiredmay be dispensed with, and the screws 6, 6 passed into holes in the back plate direct.

In order to allow for expansion and contraction-of the body of the wearer, for example, without displacing the plates relatively to the body, one or both of the holes in the rear ends of the springs (for example Z, in the spring 7) is slotted as shown, and may extend for any convenient lengthalong the spring. The screws m, m, are preferably provided with, for example, as shown, mushroom heads of a diameter larger than the width of the slotted hole in the spring. By the provision of the slotted hole Z, the spring is free to slide relatively to the back plate, without, however, becoming detached therefrom, to an extent depending upon the length of the said slotted hole. As shown by the dotted lines in Figure 2, the hole in the spring f through which the screw m passes may also be slotted.

To limit this movement as required, however, and to assist in retaining the apparatus in the desired position, an inextensible strap a of leather or the like is provided, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, passing round the outside of the back plate 9, and connecting the two back ends of the girdle springs f, 7, together, this strap being provided with a plurality of holes 0, 0, of convenient pitch, and secured at one end to one of the springs at p as by riveting. The strap is fixed to the other spring 7 by buttoning one of said lastmentioned holes over a projection such as another mushroom-headed screw 19 on said other spring.

A modification of the invention is illustrated in Figure 6, which shows a pair of smaller back plates or pads g g substituted for the single back plate 9, illustrated in Figure 1. The pads g 9 are attached respectively to the ends of the two girdle elements f, 7, by means of the connections shown, the latter being of a similar nature to those shown in Figure 2, except that the screws m, m are arranged one on each pad;

A strap a is also provided as in the preceding case for the same purpose. One or both of theholes in the rear ends of the girdle I elements may be slotted as before.

Ready detachment of the belt from the wearers body may be obtained by providing an enlargement Z in the slotted hole Z in either or both of the girdle springs f, 7, making said enlargement of sufficient diameter to enable the head of the respective screw to be readily withdrawn through it, and thus forming a button-hole or key-hole connection between the plate and the spring.

The front plates illustrated are shown with a central hinge, but in some cases they may be formed'in one piece, and they may alternatively or in addition be lightened and at the same time rendered flexible to some extent. Figures 6 and 7 show how the latter may be effected. A plurality of inwardly extending slots g, 9, may be provided around the periphery of the front plate.

The rear plate or plates may also be pro- 7 vided as shown in Figures 6 and 7 with slots 8, s, in place of the perforations shown in the other figures. The slots 8, s, are arranged parallel to each other at convenient distances apart and transversely of the plate, saidslots extending alternately from opposite edges inwardly. It is preferred that these slots have a length not less than half the width of the plate, except in the vicinity of the girdle connections, a convenient length being about two-thirds of said width. The back plates, in addition to being lightened by the slots, are rendered flexible, and can therefore accommodate themselves readily to the body of the wearer, ensuring comfort.

It is to be understood that further in'odi- Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an abdominal support, an abdominal plate, a girdle adapted to be connected at its ends to said plate at two regions thereof and to apply pressure on said regions, and means for effecting independently adjustable connection of said girdle ends to said plate regions, said means comprising a pair of guiding channels permanently attached to said plate symmetrically about and substantially parallel to a central vertical line thereon and a pair of slides longitudinally movable respectively within said channels and pivotally connected respectively to said girdle ends, and means for fixing said slides at any desired positions in the respective channels. 1

2. In an abdominal support, an abdominal plate in two parts hinged along a central vertical line, a resilient girdle adapted to be attached by two ends respectively to said two parts of the plate and to apply pressure on said parts, means for effecting said attachments between girdle and plate so as to permit adjustment of the regions of connection and pressure application, said means com prising a pair of metal guiding channels permanently attached one to each of said plate parts symmetrically about and approximately parallel to the said line of hinging, a pair of metal slides longitudinally movable respectively within said channels and pivotally connected to said girdle ends by means adapted also to fix said slides at any desired positions in the respective channels.

3. In a device in accordance with claim 1, at least one back plate adapted to be attached to the girdle and means for effecting said attachment comprising a headed pin attached to said plate, a longitudinal slot in said girdle complementary to the shank of said pin, and an enlargement in said slot through which enlargement the head of said pin may be passed.

4. In a device in accordance with claim 2, a single back engaging plate adapted to be attached to the girdle at two points and means for effecting said attachments comprising a pair of headed pins passing through said girdle and screwed into said plate at said points respectively, a longitudinal slot in said girdle through which passes and within which is freely movable the shank of one of said pins, an enlargement adjacent one end of said slot through which the head of said last-mentioned pin is withdrawable.

5. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which said front plate is rendered flexible by provision of inwardly extending slots cut round the periphery of said plate.

6. In a device in accordance with claim 1, at least one back engaging plate attached to said girdle, a number of radial slots cut round the periphery of the front plate, and transverse staggered slots cut from the edges of said back engaging plate.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

SAMUEL ARCHIBALD WALTON. 

